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Overview of Trademark Issues Presented to Businesses Owners Within Second Life Ross J Seton Hall University eRepository @ Seton Hall Law School Student Scholarship Seton Hall Law 2010 Overview of Trademark Issues Presented to Businesses Owners Within Second Life Ross J. Switkes Seton Hall Law Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarship.shu.edu/student_scholarship Part of the Intellectual Property Law Commons, and the Internet Law Commons Recommended Citation Switkes, Ross J., "Overview of Trademark Issues Presented to Businesses Owners Within Second Life" (2010). Law School Student Scholarship. 82. https://scholarship.shu.edu/student_scholarship/82 Overview of Trademark Issues Presented to Businesses Owners Within Second Life By: Ross J. Switkes I. What is Second Life? ............................................................................................................................ 1 A. Overview ....................................................................................................................................... 1 B. Second Life Economy ....................................................................................................................... 4 II. Potential Trademark Issues ............................................................................................................. 12 A. Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 12 B. Second Life Terms of Service: Who Owns the Trademark? .......................................................... 15 C. Trademark Infringement ................................................................................................................. 16 1. Use in Commerce ........................................................................................................................ 20 2. Limits of Protection .................................................................................................................... 24 3. Likelihood of Confusion ............................................................................................................. 25 a. Strength of the Mark ............................................................................................................... 27 b. Proximity of the Goods ........................................................................................................... 28 c. Similarity of the Marks ........................................................................................................... 29 d. Evidence of Actual Confusion ................................................................................................ 30 e. Marketing Channels Used ....................................................................................................... 31 f. Types of Goods and Degree of Care Likely to Be Exercised ................................................. 33 g. Defendant’s Intent ................................................................................................................... 34 h. Likelihood of Expansion of Product Lines ............................................................................. 35 4. Dilution ....................................................................................................................................... 36 a. Whether the Mark is Famous .................................................................................................. 38 b. Defendant’s Use of Mark is Commercial ................................................................................ 39 c. Defendant’s Use of mark in Commerce .................................................................................. 39 d. Defendant Used Mark After it Became Famous ..................................................................... 40 e. Blurring & Tarnishment .......................................................................................................... 40 III. Trademark Enforcement ................................................................................................................. 43 IV. Protective Measures ........................................................................................................................ 45 VI. Conclusion ...................................................................................................................................... 46 i I. What is Second Life? A. Overview Second Life can be considered a virtual community within a virtual world. By definition, a virtual world is a malleable software structure which is designed to appeal to a wide variety of audiences.1 There are typically three types of virtual worlds. The first category is made up of virtual worlds structured as games and funded by player subscription fees.2 The second category is comprised of virtual worlds structured as social spaces and funded by advertising or the sale of virtual property.3 Finally, the third category is user-generated “metaversal” worlds that are largely funded through the sale and control of virtual property which rely on the creativity and labor of individual users.4 This paper will concern the virtual world of Second Life which falls within the scope of the third category. Second Life is an online three dimensional virtual world “imagined and designed” by its users.5 Second Life is purely driven by user generated content. It is a world “imagined, built and created by its Residents.”6 The progressive platform was unveiled in 2003 by Linden Labs. In essence, Second Life is a massive multiplier online role-playing experience.7 Unlike game or social world owners, Linden Labs promotes its environment as created entirely by its users.8 1 Candidus Dougherty & Greg Lastowka, Virtual Trademarks, 24 Santa Clara Computer & High Tech. L.J. 749, 757 (2008). 2 Id. at 758. 3 Id. 4 See Neal Stephenson, Snow Crash (1992). The term "metaverse" was first used by Stephenson in his 1992 novel, Snow Crash, but is often used to refer to immersive three-dimensional virtual spaces like user-generated worlds. Second Life is supposedly modeled after the Metaverse, as described in Stephenson's novel. Kevin Maney, The King of Alter Egos is Surprisingly Humble Guy, U.S.A. Today, Feb. 5, 2007, at 1B (describing an interview with Philip Rosedale, the creator of Second Life). 5What is Second Life?, http://secondlife.com/whatis/ (2010) (last visited March 16, 2010). 6 Id. 7Ben Quarmby, Pirates Among the Second Life Islands – Why You Should Monitor the Misuse of Intellectual Property in Virtual Worlds, 26 Cardozo Arts & Ent. L.J. 667, 668 (2009). 8 See What is Second Life?, supra note 5. 1 Second Life’s creators, Linden Labs, proclaim that Second Life is the “ultimate social platform.”9 Millions of users from all over the world have established an on-line life within Second Life. Users can take part in many real-life activities entirely online within the virtual community. Such activities include buying “land,” going to bars, dancing, socializing with others, playing sports, and really anything else one could reasonably imagine. Users may interact with other members in real time from any area of the globe over the internet in a variety of locations and manners; both individually and as groups. This multicultural nature of the user population allows users to bring many perspectives to the world of Second Life. Second Life users can share ideas and “take conference calls to the next level” by conducting real-life calls through a voice chat feature within the Second Life virtual community.10 Further, users can use the voice chat feature to hold meetings or gather with friends around the world in a virtual office or living room.11 These communication capabilities allow Second Life to be a medium for both business and personal uses. Second Life users can expand their community by purchasing land and developing their virtual property. Once a Second Life member acquires land they are able to manipulate the landscape and transform the environment in a vast variety of ways. Second Life users can create landscapes based off real cities as well as other fictional landscapes and regions. Second Life users further can develop their land freely and take liberty in designing their environments. Second Life users create and customize personal digital three dimensional personas called avatars. These avatars can be created in the likeness of their creator or any other way imaginable. Avatars can wear clothes, costumes, and bear accessories such as guitars, hats, and sporting equipment. Often these items are purchased by the user. Moreover, these avatars are 9 Id. 10 Id. 11 Id. 2 mobile; they can travel from world to world or “island” to “island” by foot, flying, car, tank, plane, magic carpet, or transport.12 It is most notable that Linden Labs granted its users intellectual property rights unlike other virtual world creators.13 As a result, users have the rights over all items and structures in which they create. Linden Labs merely sells real estate to users in plots called islands.14 Any building or item created by the user belongs to him or her, not Linden Labs.15 As Linden Lab explains it its Second Life terms of service, residents retain intellectual property rights in the original content they create in the Second Life world, including avatars, characters, clothing, scripts, textures, objects, and designs.16 The result is a vibrant marketplace of Second Life content. If you create it, you can sell it, trade it, and even give it away for free, subject of course to the Second Life terms
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